Following is one Briton's experience during a trip to the U.S. of
differences between British and American English. See the Glossary of Sexual and Scatological
Euphemisms for variations on some of these. This file was edited from
an original by D.J. Barton of the University of Durham, U.K., following a
permission request on 1 Sept 2001.

Aluminium. Over here we say 'al-u-min-i-um'. You say 'aloom-i-num'.
Neither nation can spell the word.... (Aluminiumiumium?)

Ass. To us a quadraped of the horse family or a stupid person. The
word you guys are looking for in British English is 'arse'.

Aubergine. Frankly foul purple vegetable used in moussaka. You call them
eggplants.

Autumn. My favourite time of year when the leaves turn orange, red and
yellow. You call it 'Fall'. I prefer Autumn.

Banger. Three meanings in the UK: a sausage, an old car well past it's
prime and a small firework that makes a loud noise. If you were repulsed by
the idea of eating a faggot (cv), the British banger would really make your
stomach turn since it makes even a Taco Bell meal look like it contains high
quality meat. The Tabloid press seem to think that the European Economic
Community (the UK is a rather reluctant member) wants to ban the British
Banger. WRONG! They just want to reduce the breadcrumb, eyes and goolies
(male genitals) content and put meat in instead...

Baseball. In England we play a game called 'Rounders' which has
identical rules bar the bat being a short baton designed to be used with
only one hand. It's only played in schools. In the US, it's a PROPER
game...

Beer. What you call beer, we call lager. What we call beer, you
call disgusting. This might be mutual.

Bonk. To bonk someone in the UK is to enjoy sexual congress with
them. It also means to hit someone, usually on the head. The two might
be related if you like that sort of thing...

Bum. In the UK, the definition of 'buns' (cv) describes more than
adequately the biggest muscle in the body. In the US, a person whom we
would call a tramp. Also the act of being a bum.

Buns. You know what these are. You're probably sitting on them now.
Over here buns are either bread or cake rolls. Asking for a couple of
sticky buns in a bakery here will mean Mr Crusty the baker will give you
two cake buns with icing (frosting) on the top. If I went into a deli in
Manhattan and asked for a couple of sticky buns I'd probably get
arrested...

Buying a drink. Those establishments where you buy alcohol late at night
where you are not allowed to drink it on the premises are called Off
Licences (or Offies) in the UK and Liquor Stores in the US. I'm over 21
and was repeatedly carded(US)/id'ed(UK) when I tried to buy beer (this was
before I tried American beer). I thought that a British Passport
was good enough ID for a liquor store since it got me in the country, but
no, I needed an in-state driver's licence. Hellooo? I'm a tourist with a
British Passport and an English accent who is wearing a t-shirt with UK
tour dates on the back. Don't you think I *might* be the genuine article?
(Sorry. The incident still annoys me.)

Candy. We call them sweets. Unless they are American confectionary,
then we call them candy too. I have met quite a few Americans girls called
'Candy' but never ever an English one called 'Sweets'.

Cars. In the UK, only the luxury car market have automatic transmission
- in other words the Jaguars, Rolls Royces and Bentleys of the world.
Most cars have manual transmission. This is because our roads aren't
straight. As a consequence all learner drivers have to learn how to drive
using a car with manual gears. I was told that in the States this is
referred to as 'learning how to drive stick.' In the UK, asking your
driving instructor whether he could teach you how to drive stick may cause
potential embarrassment...

Cheeky. In the UK to say someone is 'cheeky' is to imply that they are
suggestively rude.

Cock. There are four obvious meanings that are common to both the
English and the Americans. A willy (penis), a male bird, to ready a gun
and to knock or place something off centre. In England there is a fifth.
If a person says 'Ello cock!' they are greeting you as a close personal
friend. The first meaning may also apply if you are a very close
personal friend and the third may apply if the first makes it's unwanted
presence known in an unsuitable situation...

Cookies. You eat these with milk and with great self control you
only eat two at a time (you don't? naughty!). We call them biscuits. You
call biscuits those dry crackery things that might go in soup (or at least
in the part of the US I went to).

Crime and punishment. If you had 'been a naughty boy' and taken to court,
you may find yourself confronted by a 'beak' (a magistrate), who might send
you down for some time 'at her Majesty's Pleasure'. You would go to gaol
(or jail), or 'nick' as it is sometimes confusingly called.

Crossing the road. In the UK we love our cute fluffy and feathery
friends. So much in fact that we name our road crossings after them. We
have pedestrian walkways that have broad black & white stripes (like
on the cover of 'Abbey Road' by the Beatles) which we call 'Zebra
Crossings'. We also have crossings akin to yours with the 'walk/don't
walk' signs on them which have a little red man standing still and a
little green man walking. These are illuminated when you are supposed to
stay where you are or walk respectively. For some inexplicable reason
this is called a 'pelican crossing'. As for the little green man
flashing...

Crusty. In the US the state of a bread roll when it is freshly baked and
smelling yummy. In the UK, as well as this, a person of possibly no real
fixed abode who engages in an alternative lifestyle involving travelling
around the country, wearing 'alternative' clothes (ex-army or hippie
gear), having a pragmatic attitude to drugs and has possibly dubious
personal hygiene. They would rather be called 'Travellers' and I admire
them for their stance against 'straight' society. (oooh a bit of politics
there...)

Cutlery. The tools you eat with. You guys also call them flatware.

Dinky. In the US something that is small or poorly made. In the UK
something small and cute. I'm not sure if you had Dinky Cars in the US, but
these toy cars are now worth a fortune over here. And I gave all mine away
too (sob!)...

Drug slang. The UK has rock festivals like Reading, Phoenix and
Glastonbury. The UK also has some drug slang which you might hear if you
were into such things at these events

Easy. When an English girl says 'I'm easy' she is not saying 'Please
sleep with me.' She is saying 'I don't mind what we do.'

English Swear Words. Our chums across the Atlantic should be warned about
the following. If some English bloke comes up to you and uses one or
more of them when addressing you, please be careful. He may not be friendly...

Bloody. You guys might describe an item covered in blood as 'bloody'. So
might we. 'Bloody' is also a mild English swear word which is always
used in cheesy programs made by Americans about the UK. Hardly anyone over
here uses it anymore. Similarly, the word 'bleeding'. We use 'fuck' just as
much as you guys, the big difference being that we can use it on network
television after 9pm in a non-gratutious way, whereas you can only shout
'fuck' in the privacy of your own home. So there.

Bollocks. The round male dangly bits. Also, saying 'the dog's bollocks' is
akin to stating 'this is the shit' in the US. Not to be confused in agricultural
circles with 'bullocks' which are bull shaped and go 'moo!'.

Naff off. Go away. As used by the Princess Royal, Princess Anne.
For a while she was known as the 'Naff Off Princess' in the tabloid
press.

Nancy boy. A male who may express either a sexual preference for his
own gender or acts in a less than masculine way.

Slag. A woman of uncertain worth and reliability. Also used in
English 1970s police shows (e.g. The Sweeney) when describing a notorious
criminal. (e.g. Dosser Jenkins? That slaaaaag!). Originally used to
describe a by-product of the (now sadly nearly defunct) coal mining
industry.

Spanner. Not only a component of every good mechanic's toolbox (see
below) but also someone not overly blessed with intelligence or savoir
faire. A geek, nerd, dork or a dweeb in other words.

Tosser. See 'wanker' and then use your imagination... Also tosspot.

Wanger. Many a Saturday night I have heard this word being shouted
by rival groups of young men at each other. The dulcit cries of 'Oi
Wanger!!' have disturbed the peace of many a town centre. It is a word
used to either describe a penis or an attempt by the alcoholically
challenged to say 'wanker'.

Wanker. A charming little word that implies that the addresser is
accusing the addressee of onanism. Usually accompanied by the coital
f-word and the oedipal compound-noun. The addresser may also raise his
right hand and portray a chillingly accurate portrayal of the act in
question...

Wazzock - a fool or idiot.
Strange fact: British males often use wanker, bastard, tosser, plonker
etc as terms of endearment.

Fag. A goody but an oldie. Over here a 'fag' is a cigarette. So in
the song 'It's a long way to Tipperary' the line 'As long as you have a
Lucifer to light your fag' is not a fundamentalist Christian's statement
that all homosexuals will burn for eternity in hell, but saying that 'if you
always have a match to light your cigarette...'

Fag #2. (Oh no not again!) When at a public (i.e. private - confused
you will be) school in the UK, you may have to 'fag' for an older boy.
This usually involves shining shoes, cleaning up and performing other
favours for this older lad. In return for fagging, the older boy looks
after your interests and makes sure that you fit into the school and
promote the school spirit (bon vivre, not necessarily the alcoholic kind).
This may also be a fag (i.e. a tiresome thing).

Faggots. Meat balls made from offal (chopped liver) in gravy. Also a
small bundle of logs suitable to burn on a fire.

Fancy. To be sexually attracted to or to desire. Also a tea cake.

Fanny. To us the front bottom; to you the back one. In Britain, the
fanny pack is known as a bum bag for obvious reasons...

Flummoxed? Our US chums will be if you use this word. It means to
be confused. The typical reaction of the average Brit upon arriving in
the US. Then again you might be 'hit for six' (i.e. upset to the point of
falling over) by it all. Which just isn't cricket, eh chaps?

Gas. To the citizens of the United Kingdom, an instrument of
warfare, the stuff that you use to cook your dinner on or a state of
matter that is neither liquid nor solid. To you guys, what we call petrol
and the gaseous by product of bottom burps (wind).

Git. An undesirable and miserable person. Between 'sod' and 'bastard' on
the 'are you going to get your head kicked in?' scale.

Grass. You can walk on it and you could smoke it (if it wasn't illegal).
In the UK you can also do it as well. To grass on someone means to tell
on them, usually to an authority figure like a policeman or a teacher.
Someone who tells on a lot of people is known as a 'supergrass' - most
often used when describing IRA informers who do the dirty on their
Republican chums.

Hard. In the UK, you might see an unshaven tattooed uncouth man with
big muscles in a pub. If you accidentally spill his beer, he might get
upset and request you to join him outside. He might say `Come on then if
you think you're hard enough!' Or even 'I'm hard, me, so you better watch
your step, mate.' He is not casting aspersions on your sexual
persuasion, nor does he have an erection. He is merely stating the fact
that unless you buy him another pint of lager in the very immediate
future he might beat seven shades of shit out of you.

Hood. To our American cousins, the bit of a car that the engine sits
under or place where you might live if you are a rapper. To us Brits, the
part of a coat that is designed to cover your head when it rains. What
you call the 'hood' we call the 'bonnet' on a car.

Hotels. In the UK the floors in a hotel are numbered ground floor, first
floor, second floor etc. In otherwords the first floor is the second
floor, the second is the third and so on and so on. In the US, you have a
more sensible numbering system. A good thing to note if you are a US
bell-boy(UK)/bell-hop(US) looking for Take That's (screaaaaammmmm!) suite
on the eighth floor in a UK hotel. (BTW Just follow the detritus of fluffy
toys and soggy knickers (cv)...)

Irony. Along with sarcasm, the basis of English humour. Totally lost on
most of our American chums. Saying '...NOT!' is not sarcasm.

Jelly & Jam. In the UK, jelly is either the stuff you US-types
call jello or a seedless preserve made from fruit, sugar and pectin. To
confuse things further, fruit preserves are generically called jam over
here too. Hence, if you were in an English restaurant enjoying a piece
of bread with peanut butter and fruit preserve on it you would be eating
'a peanut butter and jam sandwich.' BTW, I used to enjoy peanut and jelly
sandwiches when I was little in the UK sense of the word... Sloppy, but
very nice.

Jock. In the US, big guys who like sport, women and acting macho. In
the UK, a Scottish person who probably also likes sport, women and acting
macho but in a Glaswegian (i.e. from Glasgow) accent. Which is probably
more scary since a lot of people have difficultly understanding them...

Khaki. In the UK a light beige colour. In US khaki can also be
green when referring to army fatigues which are generically known as
'khaki'.

Knackered. I'm not sure if you have this word in the US. When I
said I was knackered I got puzzled looks. It means you are tired. It
comes from the fact that horses are often tired when they have testes
removed (their knackers) when they are castrated. (Sorry! I guess you
didn't want to know that...)

Knickers. A similar problem to 'pants' (cv). In the US they are knee-length
trousers like what the Brits call 'breeches'. In the UK, they are the things
that go underneath. Typically British men wear pants under their trousers and
women wear knickers, unless of course, you are a Tory (Conservative) MP and then
anything goes... Also NORWICH was an acronym used by service personel during
WWII for '(k)Nickers Off Ready When I Come Home'. To be on the safe side when
visiting the doctors it's best to keep your pants/knickers on...

'Knock you up'. In our country, to wake someone up in the morning
so they won't be late. Slightly different meaning for our American
Cousins... [e.g. "to impregnate, usually without intention ...]

Lemonade. In the US, non-fizzy fruit drink possibly made from lemons
that we Brits call 'squash'. Our 'lemonade' is fizzy, akin to your pop
or soda (depending on what part of the US you are from.) I was most
disappointed when I found this out for the first time in a US cinema...

Lorry. A UK truck. A word used in the tongue twister 'Red Lorry Yellow
Lorry' by parents to torture their kids. Try it. You'll hate me for it.

Mean. In the UK to be mean implies you are frugal to the point of
being stingy. In the US you might be mean (i.e. aggressive) because of
that English guy's inability to get his wallet out and buy you a beer
(cv).

Merchant Banker. On both sides of the Atlantic an honourable and decent
profession. In the UK, cockney rhyming slang for an onanist (see
'wanker'). Possibly apt.

Muffler. To us what you call a muffler is called a silencer. In the UK
a muffler is a long scarf a la Dickensian Novels. A muffler was also a
derogatory name for a certain part of the female anatomy at my school,
though this was probably unique to us. Try explaining THAT to a
upstanding American when you are standing at the petrol (gas) station in
fits of laughter...

Mug. There are many meanings to this word, e.g. a vessel to contain
your 'cuppa' (cup of tea). In the UK, a mug is a fool or an idiot and to
mug up is to learn. In the US a mug is a thug or a hoodlum (shortened
version of mugger I suppose). In other words, you better mug up on how
not to be a mug before you are mugged by a mug.

North/South divide. Ask anyone from the north of England where the North
ends and the South begins, they might say 'Worksop' is the dividing line.
Ask anyone from the south and they might say 'north of Oxfordshire' or
even 'north of London'. These definitions differ by well over 100 hundred
miles! In the north the people have cloth caps, whippets (racing dogs,
not aerosol cans of whipped cream!), keep pigeons, speak in a funny way
and drink bitter in grim working mens clubs. In the south, the people are
either country yokels who speak in a funny way, or people with loads of
money who speak like the Queen or brash Cockneys who speak in funny way
while engaged in dealings of a dubious nature and drinking lager. That
is, if you believe the stereotypes as portrayed in the media. It is all
utter bollocks (cv).

Pants. You call pants what we call trousers; pants are the things
that go underneath.

Pardon. Being sorry is part of being English. We apologise for things
that aren't our fault again and again and again. I am convinced that the
first word that an English baby learns to say after 'Mama' and 'Dada' is
'sorry'. Anyway, 'pardon me' is a polite way of excusing your way through
a crowd or excusing yourself or if your bodily functions betray you in
public. The US equivalent, 'excuse me' only seems to be used in a
sarcastic way, i.e. 'Well excuuuuuse me!' while exchanging lawyers'
telephone numbers.

Pastie. A pastie is a meat and potato pastry that originates from
Cornwall, UK. In the guidebook I had for Michigan, it mentioned that some
cornish tin miners had come over and brought over the recipe with them
when they settled the Upper Peninsula. Even so, I had to taken aside and
carefully told what an American pastie was so I wouldn't embarrass
parents in front of children at the summer camp I was working at when I
was talking about my liking for Cornish Pasties... [in the U.S., "pasties"
are the small stars covering the nipples of amply-breasted female
entertainers in "adult entertainment" centers]

Pecker. To keep one's pecker up is a state of mind in the UK, and an
athletic feat in the US . . .

Pint. English pints show remarkable value for money compared to their
US conterparts - 567ml compared to 430ml. Good thing to know when
ordering beer.

Pissed. To you it's quite legal to be pissed in a car in a traffic jam.
In fact, in large cities sometimes you cannot help it. For us, it means
that you have been over doing it 'down the boozer' (pub) and a kindly
policeman will shortly flag you down and arrest you.

Policemen. UK policemen are unarmed. As a consequence I feel safer over
here than I did in the US. Anyway, the following are used to describe
policemen: bobbies, peelers, filth, cops, pigs, the old Bill (or the Bill),
rozzers, coppers, a plod or perhaps 'bastards' if you are feeling lucky.
I'm not sure how many of those you guys might use. Imagine you are a
tea leaf (thief) and you spot a car in good nick (reasonable condition) so
you decide to nick (steal) it. Along comes PC (Police Constable) Plod, puts
his hand on your shoulder and says 'You're nicked mate!' even though he isn't
your friend and he probably isn't wielding a knife. This is your cue to say
'It's a fair cop! You got me banged to rights and make no mistake. You'll
find the rest of the swag (ill-gotten gains) in the sack!' if you are
stupid or 'I aint done nuffink copper!' if you are aren't.

Potty. In both countries 'potty' is that little plastic seat that kids are
forced to use when they need to expel bodily waste when they are too big for
nappies(UK) / diapers(US). Americans take the meaning of this word into adult
life unchanged. English chaps use 'potty' to describe someone who is a bit
silly, dolalley or, to be frank, mad. After watching the film 'The Madness
of King George', I can see how the two meanings might have a common
ancestry...

Randy. In the US a perfectly reasonable first name. Pity then, the
multitude of poor Americans given this unfortunate appellation when they
come over to old Blighty. Wherever they go, grimy street urchins snigger,
little old ladies try desperately to stifle guffaws and ordinarily quite
sensible members of society burst out in laughter. And why? In the UK,
saying 'Hi, I'm Randy!' is akin to saying to our American cousins 'Hello
friend, I'm feeling horny.' However, save your pity for poor soul Randy
Highman who introduced himself to my supervisor at a conference not so
long ago...

Roundabout. Imagine you are travelling in the UK along the M3 into
Basingstoke. You have already worked out that a motorway is the same as a
freeway and you are feeling pretty pleased with yourself. In front of you
is the biggest rotary [traffic circle] you have ever seen. In the UK, we
call them roundabouts.

Rubber. In this country a pencil eraser. Don't be shocked if the
mild mannered new Englishman in your office asks for a pencil with a
rubber on the end. Especially when he says that he enjoys chewing it
when he is thinking.

Rumpty. The latest word coined by the British Tabloid Press for fun stuff in
the dark. Obviously they got bored with bonking... Anyway, a typical sex
scandal headline in the Sun (infamous tabloid paper owned by Rupert Murdock)
would read 'Robbie-ex-from-Take-That (screaaaaammmmm!) caught in four in bed
rumpty with Divine Brown, OJ and some ugly Tory Minister who will shortly be
resigning'....

Shag. To you a dance. To us sexual congress. In otherwords you may
have to summon up the courage to have a shag with someone, before you
might have a shag with them later on. Also a sea bird similar to a
cormorant and a type of rough tobacco.

Slash. In the US a line denoting a separation on the written page or on
a computer, or even a rip or tear in a piece of material. In the UK also a
euphenism for a wee, a jimmy riddle or urination. Also the name of a rather
well known guitarist who was born in England and hence should have thought a
little harder before choosing his 'nom de rock'n'roooolll, man'.

Sneakers. We call these 'trainers' for some reason.

Snogging. You know that thing you do when you are with your loved one
when you tickle each others tonsils? In the UK that's called snogging.
Much beloved of kids at school discos in between swigging illicit bottles
of vodka and Special Brew beer and 'getting on down' to Take That
(screaaaaammmmm!) (popular beat combo in the UK much admired by girlies).

Soldiers. On both sides of the Atlantic, members of the military who run
around shooting things while wearing khaki (cv). Also in the UK, soldiers
are pieces of buttered toast or bread that you dip in your soft boiled egg
at breakfast. Yum!

Spanner. You see that long metal object in your tool kit that you use to
adjust bolts on your car? We call that a spanner, not a wrench.

Spunk. In the US it is perfectly acceptable for a boss to ask
whether you are feeling full of spunk of a morning (i.e. full of get up
and go.) This situation in the UK may only arise when a director is
quizzing a male actor in the adult entertainment business.

Squash. To you a vegetable. To us a fruit drink similar to US
lemonade. Also called 'cordial', though how friendly a bottle of orange
squash can be is open to debate.

Stones. To you big rock things that geologists play with. To us
also a unit of weight. 1 stone is equal to 14 pounds.

Stuffed. To be full up after eating too many cookies. Also 'Get
Stuffed' a cookery program for insomniac students and people on a low
income, where you are told how to make fancy versions of beans on toast
using everyday ingredients like baked beans, bread, butter and curry
powder. The recipies are invariably called things like
'Currybeanytoasty-yum-yum-a-go-go'. As well, 'get stuffed' is
something you say to someone who isn't your best mate.

Sucker. In both countries a fool or a silly person. Also a piece of
candy on the end of a stick that us Brits call a lollipop or a lolly. We
also call money 'lolly' too to make things just that little bit more
confusing...

Suspenders. In the UK those things that women hold their stocking up
with. You call them garters. Confusingly, when I was in Cub Scouts, the
things with the tags on them you used to hold your socks up were called
garters too. These were instruments of torture - ideal for pinging and
causing yelps of pain during prayer on church parade services. Some
children are sooo cruel. Anyway, what you call suspenders we call braces.

Swank. In both countries to be 'swanky' implies that you are showy
and vulgar, or to say that something is 'swanky' could also mean that it
is posh or expensive. Comic book characters (e.g. those in UK comics The
Beano and Whizzer & Chips) are often seen going into the 'Hotel de
Swank' after getting money for some good turn, where they promptly blow
it all on a plate of mashed potato with sausages sticking out of it. I
have never seen such a delicacy on offer in the hotels I have been in,
much to my disappointment. I have also been reliably informed that
'Swank' is also the name of a US DIY magazine populated by young women
who have great difficulty keeping their clothes on or their legs
together. They also wear high heels in bed. Weird.

Table. Imagine you are in a boardroom. The chairperson (note dubious PC
nomenclature) says 'I reckon we should table the motion about the
McBigcorp account'. If you were American you would think 'Gee, I guess we
can forget about that for a while' - i.e. the motion has been postponed.
If you were English, you would think 'Jolly good show old bean! I fancied
(cv) talking about that one!', i.e. the motion has been brought up for
discussion. How do people in trans-atlantic companies cope?

Tire. When visiting the garage make sure you know the difference
between a UK tire (band of metal placed around the rim of a wheel
designed to strengthen it) and a US tire (pneumatic effort called a
'tyre' in the UK). If you make a mistake it could be a very long and
bumpy ride home.

Toilets. Although we have a lot of colourful euphenisms for the
lavatory experience in the UK (e.g. spend a penny, watering the daisies)
we lack the prissiness of our American chums. To us a toilet is a bog, a
kharzi, a shithouse (or alternatively an outhouse in more polite
company), a gents/ladies but mostly a toilet. It is perfectly acceptable
to be in the Ritz and request to use the toilet. However, you guys seem
ashamed of the t-word. Hence you go to the John (where no-one called
John is there) and the bathroom (where there is no bath). ...And a word
of warning for English chaps in the US - never admit to eating baked
beans out of the can.

Trunk. In the US what we in the UK call the boot of a car. In
the UK, the trunk is the front end of an elephant. Can be embarrassing if
you happen to be a pachyderm working as a taxi driver in NY. (Also a
large metal and wooden box much beloved of Edwardian travellers).

Twat. In the US, calling someone a twat is unwise since you are accusing
them of resembling a part of the female anatomy. In the UK, a mild insult
meaning 'idiot' much beloved of school children who might get into trouble
with naughtier words.

Warm clothing. In the UK we wear warm woolly upper garments during the
winter which we call 'jumpers'. You call them 'sweaters'. Also a long
woolly dress is called a 'jumper' in the US.

Waste disposal. In the UK our household waste is called 'rubbish' and is
taken away by the dustmen or bin men in their dustcart. In the US you have
two types of household waste - garbage and trash. Also, you see that piece of
street furniture which you are supposed to put the packaging from your lunch?
We call them bins; you call then trash cans. I was sooo confused about this.

Wellies. In the UK a type of waterproof rubberised boot named after that
Great Englishman, the Duke Of Wellington. You guys in the US would call them
'gumboots' [Pittsburgh region], 'galoshes' or 'rubber boots'. In the UK
wellies are much beloved of Tory MPs with large country estates and
farmer-types with sheep, particularly the 'Hunter' welly with the handy
straps on the side.

Women's things. Pads = US. Towels = UK. Tampons = everywhere.

Z. The twenty sixth letter of the alphabet. You call it 'Zee'; we call
it 'Zed'. A whole generation in England has had to relearn the alphabet
after hearing the 'Alphabet song' on Sesame Street. Sadder still, the song
doesn't rhyme with the English 'Zed'. At least the 'Numbers song' works
(1-2-3-4-5, 6-7-8-9-10, 11-12, do do-do do-do do-do do etc etc...)